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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stem — to come from
  5. date — the fruit
  6. kick — in football
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pit — a hole
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pit — in a race
  11. season — of the year
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — a fruit stone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com